SWNOVELS Chapter Family Reunion
Zenith looked over the railing to the dark pits below. "Why didn't they install teleportation pads in this place?" he complained.
"This building was targeted for refitting. It is a very old complex. Only the means of fabrication were replaced. Many other systems still require the refit," CQ explained.
"I see." Zenith remained silent for a moment, regaining his bearings. "The best way to capture this place would be to reach the control posts and activate the security system." He looked to CQ. "This place DOES have one, right?"
"A system has been put into place to prevent worker harm during construction procedures. The system is for quick-response during either slow power down during an emergency shut down, or when the machinery cannot afford to be deactivated.. The drones have been outfitted with electrical tasers and emp emitters along with their own 'hands'."
Zenith frowned. "That's...perplexing. Overly complicated, I find. Still. That's the first step, I would say." He scoffed before CQ could comment. "That would be the case if this were a regular enemy from the past. No. They just want to get the vehicles, rearm and refuel them, and take them out onto the streets as fast as possible."
"Then our goal is the depot in the factory. It is past the seventh manufacturing aisle."
"Where would they find ammo and fuel?" Zenith asked.
"They are within the depot as well, for quicker deployment and transportation off-world," the pillar explained.
"That's not good." Zenith pressed several buttons on his neck and began to speak via the transmitter in his body. "To all forces in proximity of the regimentarium vehicle fabrication factory. This is Prosecutor Zenith Cankas. Cultists have invaded the facility and are aiming for the vehicle depot. If they reach it, the devastation to the city could be more catastrophic. The oni are not yet at full power, and it's best it remains that way. We require your aid with the utmost urgency in stemming this scenario. "
He deactivated the device and hurried down the stairs, eventually getting through a door and rushing through multiple large corridors of bronze. They were caked in ash and soot, although Zenith couldn't figure out just where it was coming from. Several large openings on the right led to a massive conveyor system of several dozen belts holding ammo crates and material, such as rivets, metal plates, and mana batteries adorned the zone. The floor under the belts was grated, giving way to the foundry underneath where boiling metal rested in massive cauldrons the size of a three-story building. This was where the black dust had come from.
The left of the corridor was fitted with multiple industrial-grade lifts, each one large enough to house to hellbenders side-by-side. So far, the cultists had not breached the area, but even if they had, they would have most likely ignored most of this. None of these had any value on their own.
The pair arrived at an impasse, where the large corridor stopped and led way to five different openings, irritating Zenith.
"Do you know the way?" he asked his escort.
"This are is new to me," CQ answered in her monotone voice. "The corridor only lead to three exits, the first being the north-east direction comparative to us."
Zenith rolled his eyes and brought up his left arm. He created a holographic map over his wrist, showing that there was indeed a new development in the area."
"You had that map within your systems?" CQ noted.
"Having a guide is faster than having a map, as the map takes time to read and more to determine your position relative." The prosecutor scratched the side of his head. "That being said, the direction should still be the one you mentioned, so let's go. I'm going to stop my siblings before they reach there."
The trip through the next large corridor was met with screens dangling from the ceiling and the walls, prompting Zenith to realize this section of the facility still had power going to unnecessary systems. The images would flash with various manuscripts and goals, while others would show colorful environment and create distorted sounds of nature.
"It is still a bizarre feat that they haven't started destroying everything and revealing themselves to everyone. They couldn't have change that much that they would choose stealth over flashy effects."
A loud explosion came from just behind the pair, forcing them to stop and assess the threat. The damage caused the ceiling grates to fall and wires to dangle precariously down from their holsters. The source was an afol anda, bloodied in body and ripped apart in armor, being thrown through a wall. The sounds of battle continued from the other side, but Zenith had more important things to do.
He ran towards the pillar to check on their well-being, but after checking for a pulse and a sign of breath, he sighed.
"That is our ultimate purpose," CQ lamented. "But we do so proudly. We must perform these actions to better ourselves and top prevent this sort of event occurring again." She looked towards the hole and narrowed her gaze before returning to her fallen comrade. She pulled him from his mangled position, straightening him out and letting her better see his tranquil face. "Even in death we remain calm and stoic, and facing it is the best way to serve our duty."
Zenith nodded. "But death is the signifier of the end, and I don't plan on letting my task go unfulfilled."
He and CQ walked through the hole made for them, letting them see three other dead afol anda, although they were in a much worse state than the one thrown through the wall. The last one was bleeding profusely, his armor was dented and torn in various areas, and his body was giving out, but he did not relent in his fight.
"New fighters?" Kormsin commented. He kicked the sanctified one away onto his tired legs and turned to face his new sparring partners. "Ahhhhh! Zenith! I'm glad you're here. I need directions to the vehicle depot. Do you know where it is?" he asked.
The prosecutor did not answer.
"Come now, brother. Siblings must help each other," the cultist stated with a grin.
"I am not your brother, and I will not help you."
The warrior's smile turned to a grimace. "It's a shame you should say something like that." He pulled up his sword and checked its surface. "You know you can't fight against me, not since you turned into...that," he said with an outstretched hand.
"Yet I have still beat you and Tzinma many times."
"Oh REALLY?!" Kormsin shouted. "Every time saw you being aided by others. I was almost ready to create a blood anchor around four hundred years ago, and you still sent troops down to try and gather everything, using the magus with you to destroy the tethers for the fully opened portals."
"And when we confronted each other, I defeated you in hand-to-hand combat."
"AFTER I was sniped multiple times in the arms and legs during our fight." He scoffed and walked around his brother. "Face it. You have no way of defeating me no matter how hard you try." He gripped his sword harder. "And I've grown tired of someone who didn't support his family when it was killed indiscriminately."
"Indiscriminately? INDISCRIMINATELY?!" He pulled out his pistol and sword and pointed the gun at his brother who did not flinch at its sight. "It's YOUR fault the entire planet was destroyed. It's YOUR fault that everyone died, and that our sister's mind and soul have been damaged beyond repair. EVERY. SINGLE. THING you do is your fault. You got everyone killed because you were bored."
"Because I wanted a better life!"
"And all-out war against your own brother is the way to do it?!"
"HE wasn't doing it right! He was leading a path of apathy and malice rather than sentimentality and compassion."
"So there's a right way to kill people now?" The prosecutor waved off the comment. "Your arguments still remain like those of spoiled children complaining about not getting what they wanted."
"And you think pointed that little gun at me is going to do anything? I'm still killing you, whether you try arguing with me or not."
The pistol in question had a black handle curved downwards for a better grip, and the trigger was located on the underside of the barrel rather than on the inner side of the handle. The body was flat on its sides with a golden, inwards indent in its middle running along its length. The upper and lower sections were fully rounded and ended at the start of the indent. The barrel, however, led to a self-adjusting lens. Aside from the handle and middle indent, the gun was painted white with various golden and blue traits curves, and lines carved into it via a mana forge.
"This is no ordinary pistol." Zenith turned it over, observing the floral traits on the body. "This was made by the father of what I consider to be my friend."
CQ looked down at the prosecutor, unblinking. Kormsin scoffed at the detail.
"It was the first successful mana forging of his, and this has been a very useful tool in my long life." He aimed it back at his brother. "That being said, I sent it back to the father's son after learning of his demise, as a way to let him carry a memento. Something we don't have."
Kormsin bared his teeth. "You know that's not true," he spoke in a low tone of voice.
"Is it not?"
"If he were truly caring for his father, then why do you have it right now?"
"Because he reforged it, corrected its imperfections, and improved it dramatically, telling me that the best memory of his father is that of seeing his work still being used to this day."
Kormsin spread his arms out, taunting the prosecutor. "And what does that have to do with the situation at hand?"
Zenith clenched the grip of his gun. "It has to do with this having a power you'll never truly possess or comprehend."
The pistol released a bright ball of yellow light that hit the warrior straight in the chest and exploded, causing the floor beneath the two to collapse and drop Kormsin to the forge works below.
"Well, it has that, and hypercondensed mana charges along with its normal ammo." Zenith gave a single laugh and holstered his weapons. "Looks like I didn't really need you here after all," he said to CQ. "I wasn't expecting that kind of power." The prosecutor looked at the glowing hole and rubbed his mechanical chin. "Let's make sure he was really killed with that attack."
"Or incapacitated. Such a state will allow for easy capture and imprisonment."
Leaning over the hole allowed the two ample time to jump out of the way of Kormsin's surprise attack with his sword. The blade still lodged into the stable ground, letting him pull his way out. He was enraged, and his torso was burnt through, giving more work for the demon in his veins.
"I admit I wasn't expecting something like that," he screamed. "But now there's no pity!"
His attempted tackle with blade forward was deflected by the pillar pushing his shoulder to the side and kicking him back a ways. The warrior cringed and grasped at his still-gaping wound.
"I killed the other five. You won't fair any better."
"You didn't kill me," a voice stated.
Kormsin turned to face the provenance and found himself being impale by a metal beam and thrown into the office and through the wall. The surviving afol anda limped forward and did his best to salute the prosecutor when he saw him.
"Don't use such things when you're wounded, pillar."
"I am...not a pillar..."
Zenith cared not for the pillar, but heaved a mental sigh. It wasn't in his nature to leave wounded behind. "CQ. Help him up and take him to the roof for extraction."
"What about you?"
The prosecutor limbered up his mechanical joints. "That impaling should have gained me a few vital minutes. I should be able to reach the vehicle depot and link up with law enforcement and my regimentaries, provided they made it there. Hopefully, they've called for aid and a fleet is coming here." He paused. "I'm fairly certain that is the mot logical thing to do and that I wouldn't need to give that as an order."
"I will return to your position when my task is ended," CQ stated. "I will not accept another order."
The prosecutor looked over his shoulder. "...Understood," he said reluctantly.